Press Report : Land Rover launching Freelander stop-start

An in-house engineering team and two major component suppliers have together developed Land Rover’s new fuel-saving stop-start technology which will be available on manual diesel Freelander models from next May.

A Land Rover spokesman said the control system was developed by the automaker’s engineering centre at Gaydon, Warwickshire, while Bosch provided the engine management and Denso contributed an uprated starter motor.

The system will be available on all manual versions of the 2.2 litre diesel TD4 model which accounts for about half of all Freelander sales here in the UK. It’s the first result of the Tata Group-owned automaker’s GBP800m investment over five years in new environmental technology.

Downsizing is an important part of our future; we will have more compact, lighter vehicles with greater aerodynamic efficiency, low rolling resistance tyres and electric power steering among a long list of measures

“We will reduce CO2 output of our vehicles without comprising our values,” said Murray Dietsch, director of Land Rover programmes. “We still have to have the best vehicles for the toughest conditions.” He described stop-start as the first step on Land Rover’s green technology road map which will eventually lead to a diesel hybrid ‘Landie’ capable of 60mpg and with emissions below 120g/km.

“Downsizing is an important part of our future; we will have more compact, lighter vehicles with greater aerodynamic efficiency, low rolling resistance tyres and electric power steering among a long list of measures,” said Dietsch.

Stop-start on its own reduces CO2 emissions by 8%, taking the Freelander from 194g/km to 179g/km and reducing the owner’s annual road tax (and tax on company cars) here in the UK.

Phil Wiffin, manager of stop-start systems at Land Rover, said that, on a typical 40-minute journey in London, a vehicle’s engine is only needed for about 19 minutes. “We’re saying this is the world’s first intelligent stop-start SUV. Fuel consumption in these conditions is improved by 12% which is a saving of GBP13 (about US$20) on a tank of diesel at today’s prices on a typical London test route.”

At the moment stop-start is only available with manual gearboxes but it will also be adapted for use with automatic transmissions and rolled out in other Land Rovers from around early 2011.

Features includes sensors which will automatically restart the engine if the cabin starts to get too cold or too hot so that the air conditioning operates; this also works if the windows start to mist up. The engine also restarts automatically if the Freelander starts to roll more than six feet (two metres).

There will be no price increase for stop-start-equpped Freelander models which will be badged ‘TD4-e’.

Clive claims that his interest in the BMC>MG story dates back to his childhood in the 1960s when the family’s garage premises were leased to a tenant with an Austin agency. However, back in the 1920s and 1930s, his grandmother was one of the country’s first female Garage Proprietors so cars probably run in his genes! Admits to affairs with Alfa Romeos, but has more recently owned an 06/06 MG TF 135 and then a 15/64 MG3 Style… Clive, who was AROnline’s News Editor for nearly four years, stood down from that role in order to devote more time to various Motor Racing projects but still contributes articles on as regular basis as his other commitments permit.

Hang on, this isnt rocket science and far from impressive, I thought it would use a more impressive method of starting the car that it does, anyone could do that with the key!! I cant imagine the life of you battery and starter motor (or alternator for that matter!) being too good either with all that stopping and starting… this is just more eco babble that we’re all being conned with by governments these days!

I’ve tried several MINIs with stop/start and have to say that it’s a completely natural process, and you don’t even think about using it after a while. Having said that, the Freelander lump does seem to take rather a lot of cranking to get going…

And why make it switchable? It’s fine as an always-on standard fitment on the MINI…

Seems like fairly basic technology to me. not sure what all the fuss is about. Just as easy to switch off yourself i would have thought.. mind you turning the key is quite strenuous i suppose. So, up in smoke goes the chance of a quick getaway if a truck is about to whack you up the back… hmmm… i think i’ll stick with the tried and tested and stay in control of my own safety thanks.

If it works like the system on BMW’s that I have driven, there is no problem with a quick getaway at the lights.

The system only cuts the engine if the car in in neutral and the clutch is not depressed. As soon as you depress the clutch it starts.

When you see the lights changing for the other direction, you depress the clutch, the engine fires and when the lights change for you, you are ready to go.

However, with the BMW, even if you don’t, by the time you have depressed the clutch and selected 1st gear the engine is running. The BMW’s seem to start instantly. There is no whirring and whirring of the starter motor.

I always thought that it was more economical to leave the engine running if you’re only stopping for a short time (ie, at the lights, zebra crossing etc) as the engine uses more fuel in starting than it would
have if left running. Is there any truth in that or just a myth?!

The MINI system gets bloody irritating at times and I have resorted to turning it off when in creeping traffic. That’s on a diseasel too.

The comment above about it being hard on components seems to ignore the bit about them being beefed up for the job – though my guess is that also makes them even more eye-watering when they do need replacing…

The Honda Insight had stop-start in 1999, the fire up is near instantantaneous, faster than you can move your hand from gear lever to handbrake, the safety feature is a clutch pedal switch, the saving in fuel in London rush hour/ congested traffic is considerable

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